Box for the storage of sewing needles



Nov. 27, 1956 G. BUSCHKMPER Box FOR THE STORAGE 0E SEWING NEEDLEs FiledAug. 25, 1955 United States Patent BOX FOR THE STORAGE OF SEWING NEEDLESGustav Buschkmper, Iserlohn, Westphalia, Germany Application August 25,1953, Serial No. 376,443

2 Claims. (Cl. 20G-66) This invention relates to a round box made ofartiiicial material which box allows single pieces of its contents to betaken out.

The primary object of my invention is to generally improve boxes of thekind referred to.

The box of said co-pending application comprises a bottom part having anupwardly extending edge, and a lid covering said bottom part, which lidis likewise provided with an edge but which extends downwardly; saidedges being provided respectively with a bulge and a groovecorresponding to said bulge, allowing the lid to be turned round whenthe bottom part is kept fast and vice versa; both said edges beingprovided with one or several openings each; a single piece of thecontents of the box e. g. one needle, may be taken out of the box whenopenings of both edges are in line. In case said openings remain in thisposition needles may fall out of the box against the will of the bearerof the box; and needles may then get in a handbag or the like and do thebearer bodily harm.

To overcome said drawback I provide the box with a spring connecting thelid of the box and the bottom part or an inserted portion connected withthe bottom for bringing the lid or the bottom part of the box in aposition in which the openings are no longer in line.

The lid and the bottom part respectively of my improved box may beturned round in the usual way, the moment, however, when the lid or thebottom part as the case may be, is no longer kept fast, both parts arebrought automatically by the spring in a locking position viz. in aposition in which the openings provided in the edges of the lid and thebottom part are no longer in line.

In carrying out my invention one end of the closing spring which mayhave the form of a spiral spring for tension, may be hinged to a leafspring or the like which serves as a stop spring and is arranged in awidened part of the lid edge. The free end of said leaf spring may becapable of catching grooves provided in the bottom or said insertedportion so that the bearer of the box may see at rst glance whether theopening in the lid edge is in line With an opening of the insertedportion connected to the bottom.

To prevent the locking spring being seen even in case the lid is oftransparent material the groove provided for said spring has a coverwhich extends beyond the ends of the inserted needles or the like sothat the ends of the needles cant get between the lid and the insertedportion. The extension of said cover offers the further advantage thatthe needles are protected.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

Fig. 1 is a top view of the needle case forming the subject matter ofthe invention, the needle holder being partly removed; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views on lines l1 to 1I and III toIII of Fig. 1.

The box as illustrated in the drawing consists of the circular bottompart 1 and the circular lid Z which is preferably made of a transparentartificial material. To the bottom part there is connected, e. g. bymeans of an adhesive, an inserted portion 3 which is provided withradial grooves 4 for receiving needles 5 or the like. The end of thegrooves 4 may be brought into line with an opening 6 by turning the lid2 so that a needle may be taken out of the corresponding groove. With aview to preventing needles from getting between the upper side of theinserted portion 3 and the lower side of the lid 2 a special coveringribbon 7 is provided which may serve, in addition, for bearinginscriptions.

In accordance with the invention a special lockingspring 8 is providedfor bringing the lid in a position in which no needles can be taken outof the box. One end of said spring is fixed on the pin 9 of the insertedportion 3 and thereby to the bottom part. The other end of the spring isprovided with an angular leaf spring 10 which is arranged with the mainportion in a widened part 11 of the lid. On holding the bottom part andturning the lid to bring it in the position in which needles can betaken out of the box the spring 8 is tensioned and the end 12 of theleaf spring 10 catches corresponding grooves 13 provided at regularintervals in the inserted portion 3. On letting loose the lid or thebottom part, the spring 8 contracts and the opening 6 of the lid isthereby brought in a position in which no needles can fall out of thebox.

As may be seen from Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing the groove 14 inwhich the tension spring 8 is moving, is provided with a cover 15 sothat the spring is not visible. This cover may be provided with anextension 16 (Figure 2) so that the points of the needles lying in thegrooves 4 are covered too. In this way needles are prevented from beingjammed between the inserted portion and the lid 2.

t is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseembodiment as herein set forth with reference to the drawing; thus,e.g., instead of using a spiral spring for 'tension a volute spring maybe arranged near the center of the box. There is further no absoluteneed to x one end of the tension spring on a leaf spring; said end maydirectly be connected with the lid and suitable means for locking may beprovided.

What I claim is:

l. In a box for the storage of sewing needles, said box including acircular bottom, a circular cap-shaped needle carrier located upon saidbottom and being provided at the upper face with a plurality ofundulations forming needle holding compartments which freely extend tothe periphery of said carrier, a circular cover of a transparentmaterial rotatably supported upon said bottom and having acircumferential portion to close the free ends of said needle holdingcompartments, in combination, a helical spring connecting said cover andsaid bottom to permit rotation of said cover, and a leaf springconnected with one end of said helical spring so as to automaticallyreturn said cover in its closure position, said circumferential portionof said cover being provided With a hole allowing the needle to beinserted into and removed from said compartments, said circumferentialportion having a widened part, said leaf spring having an angularly bentend and being arranged mainly in said widened portion of saidcircumferential portion so that said angularly bent end of said leafspring enters grooves of said circumferential portion whenever n Y Y Y2,771,990

YVsaid cover Vis rotated at an vangle bringing said hole into alignmentWith one of said needle holding compartments.

2. 1n a box as claimed in claim 1, a circular groove housing saidhelical spring,-a cover closing said circular groove` so-asto^rende1f1said`helical spring invisiblevfrornV the outside, and anextension forming part of 'said cover andihousing the points ofthefneedlesfso as `to prevent thesame from being jammed between saidneedle carrier and said lid. Y Y f References Cited in therle 'of thispaten UNIT-ED STATES PATENTS

